1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information reproduction system which optically reads the code patterns from an information recording medium, such as paper, on which multimedia information, including audio information such as speech or music, image information obtained from a camera, a video apparatus, or the like, and text data obtained from a personal computer, a word processor, or the like, is recorded in the form of optically readable code patterns, and which then reproduces the original multimedia information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic tape, optical disks, and the like have been known as recording mediums for audio information, such as speech or music. Even if copies of those mediums are mass-produced, their unit price is still somewhat high, and to store such copies requires a lot of space. Furthermore, when a medium on which sound has been recorded must be delivered to a person in a distant place, the medium takes a lot of time and labor to mail it or directly convey the medium to the person. The same is true for other multimedia information exclusive of audio information, including image information obtained from a camera, a video apparatus, or the like, and text data obtained from a personal computer, a word processor, or the like.
To deal effectively with such a problem, EP 0,670,555 A1 corresponding to a European Patent Application filed by the assignee of the present application and also to U.S. Ser. No. 08/407,018, has disclosed a system that records multimedia information on an information recording medium, such as paper, in the form of image information that can be transmitted by facsimile and copied in large amounts at low cost, that is, in the form of dot codes consisting of dots, acting as coding information, arranged two-dimensionally, as well as a system for reproducing the original information from the medium.
To reproduce the original information from such dot codes more reliably, PCT/JP95/01467 (filed in the United States as U.S. Ser. No. 08/776,325, filed Jan. 24, 1997), filed by the assignee of the present application, has disclosed a technique for recording on a medium the information, which is called a system control file, representing the processing parameters in the form of dot codes in the same manner as the multimedia information, reading the parameter information first, and setting the individual parameters in corresponding sections of an information reproduction system that optically reads dot codes on an information recording medium-and reproduces the original information. In particular, an example is disclosed whereby the information transfer protocols are divided into layers in a system that records and reproduces dot codes on and from an information recording medium, such as paper. In the example, the parameters needed for the individual layers are read from the system control file beforehand and then set in the corresponding sections.
According to this technique, however, when reading the system control file, the operator must be conscious of reading special dot codes different from normal ones. Specifically, the operator must operate a particular switch to change the mode of the information reproduction apparatus, and then scan and read the system control file to set the parameters.